Published: Thursday 17 February 2022
Two motorists caught fraudulently using disabled parking badges in Kensington and Chelsea have been hit with fines and costs totalling almost £2,200.
Prosecutions brought following investigations by a dedicated Council officer resulted in one man being ordered to pay £1,241 after admitting using his deceased wife’s Blue Badge to park in a disabled bay, and another man £955 after pleading guilty to using a badge reported lost by an elderly woman.
The cases bring the total number of successful prosecutions for Blue Badge misuse in the borough to 259 over the past five years, with 36 in 2021/22. Blue Badge fraud prevents people in genuine need from accessing on-street parking where they need it most and is estimated to cost London’s boroughs and Transport for London between £5,000 and £10,000 per badge per year.
Cllr Johnny Thalassites, Lead Member for Planning, Place and Environment, said:
“Blue Badges are a lifeline for disabled residents and visitors who rely on being able to access convenient places to park for their home, work and social lives.
“Using these badges fraudulently can have a huge detrimental impact on the day-to-day activities of disabled drivers. We will not tolerate it and our team will continue to seek out and take action against anyone committing Blue Badge fraud.”
Anyone wishing to report Blue Badge fraud can do so by calling Kensington and Chelsea Council’s fraud line on 020 7361 2777 or emailing [email protected]